ACWS Naples – Day 5 News (+ 3Videos)

Draper led his Luna Rossa crew to a thrilling win in the final fleet race in Naples, Italy, collecting 50 points for his efforts to vault up the leaderboard and win the AC World Series Naples Fleet Racing Championship. The victory kicked off celebrations among the tens of thousands of Italian America’s Cup fans lining the Naples waterfront to catch a glimpse of their heroes.

“We’re very pleased with the event, with the team effort,” an excited Draper said afterwards. “We didn’t have huge expectations, but to come away with a first (in the fleet racing) and a second (in the match racing) is awesome.”

Summary Day 5

(News Day 5 | total 2:38min | americascup channel)

More about Day 5

(Highlights of Day 5 | total 23:21min | americascup channel)

The Complete Race Day 5

(Complete Race Day 5 | total 03:12:36min | americascup channel)

Conditions were light, tricky and testing on Sunday, but Draper and his crew were up to the challenge. As was James Spithill and his ORACLE Racing crew, who appeared to be dead and buried in last place early in the race, only to recover and claim an impressive second place.

A poor tack in the pre-start left Chris Draper’s Luna Rossa Piranha floundering as Terry Hutchinson’s Artemis Racing launched off the starting line with a five-second lead. Although Draper and his crew worked tirelessly to keep the pressure on the Swedish team, Hutchinson and co. never allowed an opening and were in control for the entire race, to win the Naples Match Racing Championship.

Artemis Racing took a narrow lead off the start, Luna Rossa Swordfish in hot pursuit. With Terry Hutchinson opting to round the gate mark for the right-hand side of the beat, Paul Campbell-James went for the tactical split. When they came back together, the Swedish boat was ahead by a nice margin. From there Hutchinson extended his lead, staying comfortably ahead for a 37-second victory.

ORACLE Racing Bundock led Luna Rossa Piranha into the start, killing time in the windward position but accelerating slightly faster to take a narrow lead at mark one. Chris Draper came back strongly on the approach to the leeward gate, opting for the opposite mark to Darren Bundock and taking advantage of a big split. When they came back together, Bundock was forced to duck Draper’s transom. The Italian boat moved into the lead and controlled the race to the finish, winning by 41 seconds.

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norbertomoreau

Norberto Moreau is co-owner and digital marketer of the group Allied Management Ltd (Hong Kong, London, Valencia). The group and his associates have activities in Yachting, Properties and Online Services.